Halo: Vendetta
Halo: Vendetta is a story co-written by Stel' Vadam and Gruntijackal. It follows the events of two Sangheili, Stel 'Vadam and Ral 'Daman attempting to assassinate a Jiralhanae Chieftain, Keflus, the successor to Tartarus......... Cast Canon Characters *Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Tartarus *High Prophet of Truth *High Prophet of Mercy *High Prophet of Regret Fanon Characters *Stel 'Vadam *Ral 'Daman *Zano 'Damatee *Keflus *Several generic brutes. Story Prolouge //9th Age of Reclamation (Covenant Calender). August 18th 2552. (UNSC Military Calender). Location: Planet of Reach, exact location unknown.// Rola 'Vadam paced down the ever darkening caverns. He gripped his Plasma Repeater and Rifle. Slowly, Rola placed his Plasma Rifle on his side and lightly touched the rocky walls of the cave. He continued to walk across the cave, his footsteps echoeing louder as he got deeper. After another ten metres, Rola's hand flew forward. It was an open side passage. Intrigued, Rola turned to his side and entered the passage. Steathily, he moved deeper into the passage. A mumbling in the distance entered Rola's ear drum. He became to crouch towards the area, bringing out his Needle Rifle. The whispers got louder, almost understandable. A blue light reflected off the needles on his rifle. The whispers then had owners as Rola could see into the carved room. He stayed in the darkness; just. It was the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae Tartarus and another Jiralhanae Keflus. They stood before three holgraphic pods, which displayed images of the Prophet of Truth, Mercy and Regret. Tartarus eyed Truth, he took in a breath and spoke, "Noble Prophet. Is it time to eliminate the Sangheili?" "No," Truth replied. "But we have waited for centuries, the prophecy foretells the Sangheili betraying us soon," Tartarus complained. "We know what the prophecy foretells and it's purpose to the Great Journey," Truth explained. "So why can we not strike them down before they get a chance?" Tartarus barked. "The-" Truth said being interrupted by Regret. "The prophecy foretells that the Sangheili will betray us only after we've attacked our mutual enemy's homeworld. That is when we strike," Regret explained. Mercy had a look of denial on his face. Although he knew the prophecy was written when the Covenant was formed, he also knew the Sangheili would never betray those who they were most loyal to them. Keflus spoke, "So when is the time that we must kill the heretics?" Regret replied, "Soon..." Regret turned away and the hologram vanished. Truth then turned to Mercy, "Come, Mercy, we have a council to run." Mercy and Truth's holograms disappeared. On High Charity, Mercy spoke to Truth, "Truth, I'm going to go back to my quarters, I've forgot an important document to the trial." Truth eyed Mercy, then simply replied, "Ok, I'll see you at the trial." Mercy turned around and activated his throne's teleportation grid. He reappeared in his quarters, which featured: A window, a bed, a desktop and a small area for his Throne to remain. Mercy moved towards the document, which was actually the prophecy. Mercy scanned through it. The paper was incredibly ancient and only the fragile, soft hands of the Prophets could still hold it. Mercy read through the ages of the Covenant up until the 'Age of Reclamation'. Mercy then scanned to nearly the bottom where he found the betrayal section. The writing mentioned the destruction of one of the Forerunner's most sacred monuments, Halo. Following this Sangheili started to betray the Covenant were they were stationed on a gas mine in the wreckage of the relic. Mercy then read on; the sheet stated that loyal Sangheili were sent to destroy the heretics, lead by a forsaken Sangheili. Mercy sighed, Truth and Regret were obliviouse to the fact that the Sangheili wouldn't actually betray the covenant. Back on Reach, Keflus spoke to his Chieftain, "So how long must we fight with these honor crazed betrayers?" "Not long, Keflus," Tartarus anwsered. Rola quickly rushed back, he leapt back into the main cave and towards the exit. Stel and his squad stood at the entrance, fighting off human soldiers. As Rola called out to Stel, a Scorpion Tank missed Stel narrowly and hit the cave entrance. Rola rushed, reaching out his hand, trying to get their attention. Rola then looked in horror as the cave's entrance collapsed and his brother was out of sight. Rola looked shocked, "Now my race will never know about the true plans of the Jiralhanae." Rola looked into the distance, and actually noticed that the cave looked very 'Forerunner like' and slowly walked down. Five minutes later, Tartarus and Keful boarded their nearby Banshee's and flew away. The Banshee's flew into the distance as the setting sun vanished from sight... Chapter 1 //1st Age of Redemption (Sangheili Military Calender). Late November 2553 (UNSC Military Calender). Location: City of Hurol, in the State of Daman// Ral 'Daman's eyes began to open. The musky fog almost blinding his vision. Ral blinked trying to clear the dull, grey cloud from his face. Ral looked to his left, a Sangheili lay, his back towards Ral. Ral gradually forced himself to move and tapped the Sangheili, "Come on, we need to move." The Elite lay silent, and didn't respond. Ral then grabbed his shoulderpad and pulled the Sangheili towards him. Ral's eyes then widened nearly to the point of ripping. Half of the warrior's face was crushed, blood slowly oozing from his eyes. Ral looked around him, dozens of his fellow warriors lay dormant, mutilated by the Jiralhanae. Suddenly, a footstep crushed a nearby branch, Ral quickly went to activate his Active Camouflage; hoping it still worked. He looked at his arm as it flickered away into the air. Ral compressed himself to the ground. A nearby pack of the mounstrous Jiralhanae came up to the fountain. The Jiralhanae were hairy abberations protected by poorly crafted armour which broke upon impact. They wielded the deadly Type-25 Grenade Launcher, also known as the Brute Shot to the humans. The other two behind the main brute wielded the deadly Spikers. The bayonets on both sides could slice straight through a Sangheili's armour and penetrate the skin. The main Brute made a rough bark, Ral didn't understand it. The Jiralhanae communicated through rough barks and gravely voices. The two Jiralhanae stepped into the fountain area. They both reached for their sides and grabbed another spiker. The two pushed around the Sangheili bodies, checking to see if any were merely wounded. The Brute commander then suddenly said something understandable, "Follow behind me when you've finished with your objective." "Yes, sir!" they both barked. The brute on the left walked straight towards Ral. Ral slowly shuffled towards the fountain, trying to be as silent as possible. The Jiralhanae lifted up the Sangheili with the crushed face, he made a quiet chuckle and threw the lifeless body straight towards Ral. The body collided with Ral and he fell to the floor, his active camouflage almost disabling. The brute turned around and his comrade prepared to leave the area. Ral pushed the body off of him and moved towards the back of them. Suddenly, another living Sangheili appeared from camouflage and stared at Ral. Ral then noticed his own camouflage had deactivated. The Sangheili was none other than Stel 'Vadam, brother of the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and the peaceful Rola 'Vadam. Stel lifted his finger to his mandibles, indicating silence. He pulled out an energy blade, a knife equivilant to the Energy Sword. Stel motioned his head towards the leaving brutes. Ral noticed immediatly and quickly moved towards Stel. They swiftly crept up towards the two Brutes and with two cunning strikes, the Brute's throats were slit as Ral and Stel covered their cries of pain. Ral looked at Stel as he whispered, "Come with me. I need your help." Stel and Ral started crawling over to a opening in the fountain as the Brute commander saluted his troops. "Do what i say...and we can avenge this massacre." "Over there...that is the Chieftain Keflus, responsible for Hurol City's misery and successor to the Chieftain Tartarus. For two days, i have hunted him. For two days alone, luck has saved the barstard's life." "Due to the injury on my hand, which costed me a finger, you will have to take the shot." Stel quietly handed his Type-50 Sniper Rifle System, also known as the Beam Rifle, to Ral. "Charge your Rifle, but hold your fire. Wait until the Banshees are directly overhead..." "The sound of their engines will drown out the shots on the Brute troops.". Ral grabbed the Beam Rifle and looked through it's sight. He could see a Jiralhanae stalker communicating with a Major. Ral zoomed in the sight, he could see a Sangheili checking the window, but to his demise, another Stalker noticed him and threw an incinderary grenade into the building. The Sangheili began shaking his arms rapidly, then he noticed a female Sangheili and a child screaming and running up the gravity lift, using the rifle just given to them by her husband to destroy it. The fire began to spread. An almost camouflaged Phantom appeared through the fog. It's light were like a beam of annhilation to any darkness. The Phantom lowered and emmited a gravity lift, which was like a enchanting glow. The stalker rushed up along with one of his commrades. This left a Major, a Stalker and two Minors. Taking out the Stalker was his top priority. Ral looked up towards the cloud of grey and burnt gases. He then noticed, just as Stel had predicted, Banshees flying straight ahead, covering the noise in the local area. Ral then quickly aimed down the sight and aimed for the head of both the Major and Stalker. As the Major knelt down to the sitting Stalker, Ral pulled the trigger. The purple beam penetrated the soft flesh of the Major and straight into the Stalker. The two collapsed, their cries muted by the Banshees. Ral then recharged the Beam Rifle, he then aimed at the two Minors. Patiently, he waited as one of them moved infront of the other. Taking the chance, Ral fired, which struck the closest one in the back and the other in the head. Ral lowered the Beam Rifle. Stel quickly congratulated him, "Good work. But that was only the beginning." Suddenly, a Jiralhanae Minor came into the scene with a deadly Troklon. Troklons were a Jiralahanae version to the dog, its muscle's bulged every step it took. It's pitch black claws were sharper than a razor. It's eyes showed no mercy and it had noticed Ral and Stel. Ral quickly grabbed the Type-50 Sniper and quickly aimed, the Troklon was running at over 30 miles per hour at first sight. Ral shook and fired, the Troklon's chest was ripped apart by the shot and it collapsed, slowly dying. Ral then quickly aimed his sight up and shot the Jiralhanae handler. The handler collapsed on impact. Ral lowered the gun, "It appears the brutes have introduced new forces." "Indeed. Quickly, time to close in for the kill." Stel grabbed a Plasma Repeater which was grasped in the hand of a dead Sangheili. "AGH! Armored patrol. We'll have to take another way to Keflus. Over there, in the bar." Stel and Ral rushed over to the destroyed window and jumped in. "This bar once echoed with conversations of friends and lovers alike. I came down here occasinally for a drink after my assassination work. I was currently a hired assassin for your lineage, but now it seems i must move on from being a assassin." "Mark my words, Ral, one day things will change. One day it will be Doisac that shall burn. The Brutes themselves will burn. We will take it to their land. To their blood." Stel opened the door to the cellar, which led into another part of the building. "The 6 rows of scars down my right eye will always remind me of what the Brutes did to our people. Enough talk. Let's move." Chapter 2